Italy’s historic vote has made protecting the environment a fundamental part of its constitution.
On Tuesday, the Italian parliament approved a law that means the state must safeguard ecosystems and biodiversity “in the interest of future generations.”
The constitution has been amended to ensure that the economy protects the environment and health. The new law says that private industry cannot now have an impact on the climate. Protection of animals was also recognized.
The inclusion of the environment and animals in the Italian constitution has been hailed as significant for the country’s future by both politicians and activists.
“I think it is an epochal day,” Minister of Ecological Transition, Roberto Cingolani said in a statement.
“It is right that the protection of the environment, biodiversity and ecosystems become a founding value of our Republic, it is an essential step for a country like Italy which is facing its own ecological transition.”
He adds that the achievement allows Italy to have “well-defined rules” for protecting the planet – especially as today’s actions will have consequences on future generations.
Virginijus Sinkevičius, European commissioner for the environment also called it a “major step” Follow us on Twitter.
Congratulating Italy on the decision he said that “by choosing to protect the environment, biodiversity and ecosystems through your constitution, you are choosing to protect future generations.”
“Today’s vote represents a historical fact,” says Donatella Bianchi, president of WWF Italy.
“Finally, environmental protection becomes a fundamental principle of the Republic to which future legislation will have to be inspired and to which past legislation will have to adapt.”
She goes on to say that the constitutional amendment is an “important first step” to harmonising Italy’s legal system with environmental principles developed at a European and international level.